Episode Transcript
[00:00:03] Dr. Sarah: Hello and welcome to the Dr. Random podcast. I'm Dr. Sarah and today I'm so excited because I have Bella and she's a registered dietitian. Dietitian. Nutritionist.
[00:00:15] Bella: Yes, yes.
[00:00:17] Dr. Sarah: Tell us what you know. Your credentials all stand for after your name.
[00:00:23] Bella: Yes, yes. So I have my master's in nutrition, I'm a registered dietitian, and then I'm a nationally board certified health and wellness coach. So I've got the little Alphabet.
[00:00:38] Dr. Sarah: Yeah. Nice.
Yeah. And I think one reason why I'm so excited to have Bell on is because I'm a huge advocate on nutrition and everything that I put in my body and we actually connected again. People are going to start laughing. We connected in the sauna at Ethos because. Been some of my prior guests too. It's just a place where, you know, you kind of start talking with the ladies that you're around and, you know, the things we talk about in the sauna. So. Yeah. And just so the podcast knows, I don't think I've really talked about this before, but little Ava here gets energy. Whenever I turn the camera on, it's like she thinks it's time to play. So you hear her running around, but yeah. So let's kind of get into.
You got your. Was it all your degrees from North Carolina Central University. Oh, it looks like. And also Michigan.
[00:01:40] Bella: Yes.
[00:01:42] Dr. Sarah: So that's. Those were your colleges, universities?
[00:01:46] Bella: Yes.
[00:01:48] Dr. Sarah: And is there any. What would you say kind of led you into choosing this path?
[00:01:54] Bella: Oh, my gosh, Great question. I would honestly, I don't remember a time where I wasn't interested in health and nutrition. You know, I come from a family where, like, everyone has a diagnosis. And I would say from my teenage years, you know, as you start to actually learn that what you put into your body matters. I cared about nutrition and, you know, I played soccer, I danced, so I was always active. And when I stopped playing sports, I got into working out. And eventually I feel like those things go hand in hand.
And I originally started as a business major and quickly found that it just was boring. It felt too easy.
And so I sat with a counselor at Michigan State and kind of went through everything and she brought up dietitian and like, described what they do.
And I was like, oh, that's what I have to do. And the rest is history.
[00:02:53] Dr. Sarah: That's amazing. I love it. And so what would you say from your expertise is probably the most important thing in nutrition, what would you say?
I guess what I mean by that is, you know, how we were taught at least for me. We were little. Like, the food groups, you know, had like the triangle.
The food groups. Would you say that.
[00:03:18] Bella: That.
[00:03:18] Dr. Sarah: I think it has. Has it evolved or changed over the years of how we look at a food pyramid or a food, you know.
[00:03:30] Bella: Yes, the food pyramid. That's what we all grew up knowing. And around the time I was in college. So, like 2017, ish is when things started to change. And it could have been prior to that. I just remember learning about what they call my plate. So now instead of a pyramid, it's a plate that kind of breaks down all the different food groups in the servings of each.
I would. I don't use the government's version of it.
[00:04:00] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
[00:04:03] Bella: Functional nutrition, we aim for, like, more like vegetables and produce should be a majority of your plate, and then like having your protein and your carbs and your healthy fats. Absolutely. But I think the way that they have it broken up is into, like, more of, like, quarters of each, where I think most people are probably under eating the. The produce. And I feel like fiber is all the rave right now. Everyone's fiber maxing. People are starting to realize how little they eat of fiber.
[00:04:36] Dr. Sarah: Okay, that's a new word. Fiber maxing. Okay.
[00:04:40] Bella: Yes.
[00:04:41] Dr. Sarah: All the.
[00:04:42] Bella: All the girlies I'm seeing are obsessed with fiber, which disclaimer to the audience, you can go too hard too soon on fiber. Take your time increasing your fiber.
[00:04:53] Dr. Sarah: Okay, what would you say, out of the. All the food groups is the best source or way to get fiber?
[00:05:02] Bella: Oh, that's a good question.
Some of your seeds are really good, like your flax seeds and your chia seeds. Okay, big fan of those. But then in terms of, like, your fruits and vegetables that are going to be highest, like your. Your peas. Peas are really high fiber. Same with, like, your beans, like black beans.
Avocado is a good source. Berries are another great source. Pears, apples.
[00:05:34] Dr. Sarah: All right.
Yeah. I was kind of wondering, like, broccoli, asparagus.
[00:05:39] Bella: Yeah, absolutely. Broccoli, too. The cruciferous vegetables.
[00:05:43] Dr. Sarah: Yes, I actually have. I've been using it very long time, but when I try to have it a lot, but I feel like I go through periods where I'm out and then I have it. But the flax oil and then the flax seeds with the omegas in it.
Legumes, I think, or what do they call it?
It's by. I almost want to go grab it and show it to you.
Be like, I take this.
But yeah.
And I guess one of the things with nutrition is And I know this is going to kind of go into women's hormone health, which I know you have a lot of information on into, you know, and for fun, I actually brought out all my supplements.
[00:06:38] Bella: Yes.
[00:06:39] Dr. Sarah: So I'll kind of go through. So I have. This is going to take a while. I take a lot. You're going to be like, what? Okay, this is the refill. I ran out of the bottle. So I take the brand seed that know that that's the pre probiotics. So I take that at night.
[00:06:56] Bella: Okay.
[00:06:57] Dr. Sarah: That brand at night I'll kind of just go through my night supplements. So then I take the sea moss wildcrafted CMOs.
[00:07:07] Bella: Okay. Does that.
[00:07:10] Dr. Sarah: Yes. Codage. And it has Irish CMOS bladder, Bladder rack, I guess that's what you call it. Burdock root and spirulina.
[00:07:21] Bella: Okay.
[00:07:22] Dr. Sarah: And so I've been taking that like for years.
I used to take it in the morning, but now I found out take it at night because it actually can make you a little sleepy, I guess, which kind of surprised me where they said it's good to take it at night.
And then I take the lysosomal magnesium glycinate at night.
[00:07:40] Bella: Mm.
[00:07:41] Dr. Sarah: And I take progesterone at night.
[00:07:44] Bella: Nice.
[00:07:45] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
[00:07:45] Bella: How are you sleeping?
[00:07:47] Dr. Sarah: Good.
Good.
[00:07:49] Bella: It's working.
[00:07:51] Dr. Sarah: Yes. Yeah. And then I also take at night the grass fed New Zealand fauvin liver, the pro mix, the beef liver or whatever, bovine liver.
And then of course this is. If I don't take, say I run out of like the magnesium capsules, then I'll take the powder form of the magnesium.
[00:08:18] Bella: Okay.
[00:08:19] Dr. Sarah: My moon juice.
So that's kind of my. That's what I take in the evening.
I don't know, what would you say? Like, do you have a routine, Would you add anything to an evening routine?
Like for evening?
[00:08:33] Bella: Yeah, yeah. So my evening routine is very simple. Like I just do a good magnesium glycinate. Most people I find don't get enough magnesium.
And it can really help with sleep. The glycine specifically. If I'm going through periods of stress, I'll do like a magnesium with ashwagandha.
It's an adaptogen, which basically just helps under times of stress. But there's nuance with adaptogens. There's different kinds, ones that are calming, ones that are stimulating. So it really depends on what's going on in someone's life and how their hormones are. But under periods of like high stress, like an ashwagandha can help support your adrenal glands. That Produce cortisol.
[00:09:21] Dr. Sarah: So that.
[00:09:22] Bella: That tends to be my simple nighttime routine with the magnesium. What. I'd be curious, what got you into, like, the. The CMOS and some of the supplements you're taking at night?
[00:09:36] Dr. Sarah: Well, I guess the. The CMOS is something I heard about a long time ago. I probably started that, like, 10 years ago, probably.
[00:09:45] Bella: Oh, wow.
[00:09:46] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, so I heard that just this algae.
The algae is supposed to be really good for, like, detoxing in your body and just keeping that correct.
So that's research I did, why I started taking it.
[00:10:04] Bella: Yeah, Yeah, I know. People will even do, like, spoonfuls of the actual sea moss. And I feel like it's gotten very popular recent years, and I think it's also supposed to be really rich in minerals, from what I understand.
[00:10:18] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
Yeah.
And.
And then are you ready for the daytime?
[00:10:27] Bella: I am. We talked a little about a little bit in asana, but now you've got them.
Yeah.
[00:10:32] Dr. Sarah: So this is Pure Enemy.
[00:10:37] Bella: Okay.
[00:10:38] Dr. Sarah: And have you heard of that, like, vitamin app they have that, like, rates the vitamins and the supplements?
[00:10:43] Bella: No, but that sounds awesome.
[00:10:45] Dr. Sarah: It's. It rated this really high. This an enemy. And it's just a powder, so it's. By.
Who is it by?
I don't know the brand. I can't tell what the brand is, but this is it.
[00:11:00] Bella: It's like pure nmn. Okay.
[00:11:03] Dr. Sarah: Yeah. And then I take the L Glutamine.
[00:11:09] Bella: Mm.
[00:11:11] Dr. Sarah: And the Promix fish oil.
[00:11:15] Bella: Nice.
[00:11:16] Dr. Sarah: Which is, I guess, cod. And then this is interesting. So my multivitamin for women, I do the. Every women's multivitamin new chapter a day. And then. But when I run out of that, then I do the super hair, because I thought the super hair was just for hair, but it's actually. It's like a multivitamin, this thing.
[00:11:36] Bella: Yeah, A lot of it tend to be. Yeah.
[00:11:40] Dr. Sarah: Okay, so it was kind of like, you know, overdoing it.
And then I take 80k.
[00:11:48] Bella: Okay.
[00:11:48] Dr. Sarah: Sorry. This light is being weird. It's, like, hard to see it. Cotage ADK reversal. Cell reversal by Thor.
And then the cortison bites to chosamine.
[00:12:03] Bella: Quercetin.
[00:12:04] Dr. Sarah: Quercetin.
Bioastin, which. Is that how you say it?
[00:12:14] Bella: Okay, that one's hard to say. Yeah, we're in the ballpark. I can't even pronounce it correctly.
[00:12:21] Dr. Sarah: And then oil of oregano.
I told you, I have a lot. Berberine and then zinc.
[00:12:30] Bella: Okay.
[00:12:34] Dr. Sarah: And you just spoke of the mushroom stuff. That's, like, in super you by Moon Juice.
So that and then organic B complex by this is just by Thrive market I think.
And then I'd be curious to know what you think because I'm wondering. I take the algae omega and I'm wondering maybe I'm kind of doubling up with doing both of these because I take this one during the day and this one at night. I don't know if they're but I think they're a little different.
I don't know. This one says it's Nordic naturals love them.
So that's the one I take during the day.
[00:13:18] Bella: Yeah. And did you say you're taking a pro mix omega as well?
[00:13:23] Dr. Sarah: Oh yeah. Well that's the fish. Do you think that kind of falls in the same.
[00:13:27] Bella: Yeah, yeah. So they're both going to provide. They're both going to provide omegas so you can get your omegas. Like the algae is like the vegan version and then probably what you're taking with pro mix is more of like a fish oil omega so that they're both serving like the the same purpose. Just one's coming from fish and one's coming from algae.
[00:13:47] Dr. Sarah: Interesting.
So I'm really like good on my own.
Didn't I'm probably like doubling up on every.
And then the liposomal or very in this.
[00:13:59] Bella: I know Sita. Mm.
[00:14:06] Dr. Sarah: And then the red yeast rice.
Okay.
And in my water this is a whole other thing When I'm at the gym I add in the super elixir daily greens.
[00:14:19] Bella: Okay.
[00:14:20] Dr. Sarah: Welly Co. Which I really like. And then I add in my aminos which it's kind of like protein but it's key kion aminos.
It's really good. Tastes good.
That's the mango. And then I put in my protein shake. I put in creatine collagen and then the protein powder and some colostrum and then I drink the pro mix deblo like in the morning. So I don't know. So that's like is my poor liver kid. Am I doing too much?
[00:14:54] Bella: Do you do all of those supplements at once?
[00:14:58] Dr. Sarah: Uh huh. The daytime ones.
[00:15:02] Bella: That's a lot.
[00:15:05] Dr. Sarah: I told you. I'm like.
So do you think I need to like is that like hard on my. You think liver or kidneys or do you think I need to?
[00:15:15] Bella: Well you're there probably with so many. So many nutrients like things like zinc and calcium compete for absorption. Iron and calcium compete for absorption.
So what I'm saying is with how much you're taking I not sure how much your body's. If it's Able to absorb all of it and like maybe spreading it out throughout the day. Okay.
Yeah. Help you get more bang for your buck. And there's probably like some overlap. Like if you're taking a multi, I'd be curious if that had zinc in it already, if that has B vitamins in it already since you're also taking a B complex. If. And then I think you said you're taking adk.
Is any of that in your multi?
Like, are you getting any amount of overlap just to, to simplify.
[00:16:07] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
Yeah.
And I know it's funny. I'll talk to people and I'm like the extreme opposite where they're like, I don't take anything and I'm like, what? I'm like, no, you need to be taking your supplements or your vitamins. I don't know. I just believe in it. Yeah.
I just noticed a difference in how my body feels and I feel like how I am able to listen to my body, especially through doing the hot kind of 90 minute Bikram yoga. I really feel like I'm more in tune and listen to how my body feels and listen to it. But.
But yeah, I don't know. So I was just curious what you would think of everything I take and it might be interesting for the audience to hear.
[00:16:53] Bella: Yeah.
[00:16:55] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
[00:16:55] Bella: So I mean, personal goals are always a big thing and like health history and all of that, which of course I would take into account if you were my, my patient. But I, for sake of like the, the podcast, I'd be curious, you know, like what your specific health goals are. And you mentioned that you are really in tune with your body. If there's anything that you've noticed has really made the biggest difference for you.
[00:17:26] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, I mean, I notice sometimes if I run out of my supplements, I'll notice a difference in my energy feel of my skin. Like maybe it could feel more dry without the omegas.
[00:17:38] Bella: Yeah.
[00:17:39] Dr. Sarah: Oil or the beef? I think the beef liver and the fish oil make a difference on like the glow of your skin.
I've noticed. I don't know.
Yeah, the omegas and things like that. But in the greens I think are really important for kind of that inner glow.
[00:17:57] Bella: Okay.
[00:17:58] Dr. Sarah: I would say that's probably the biggest difference that I notice.
And of course, energy with certain things. You know, I think it's more because, you know, life is stressful and we deal with like pollutants in the air. I feel like, you know, we have stress or things happen.
And I just feel like sometimes you don't know when you're gonna have that stressful day. Or say, like me, you get in a car accident, which I did back in February, and that causes a lot of stress. I feel like we're almost like protecting our, you know, cells in our body from, you know, I don't know, what word am I looking for? You probably know what I mean. Just kind of like that extra assurance and step when we're dealing with the stresses of life.
[00:18:43] Bella: Yeah, absolutely. Supplements can definitely be a lever and a tool to leverage in those moments. And that's where like, sometimes, like, certain supplements during times of stress, like we talked about the ashwagandha and things like that can help support your body, especially things like your B vitamins, your vitamin C and your magnesium. Those are some of the first. Especially the vitamin C gets depleted so quickly under times of high. Under times of high stress.
So sometimes we'll even have people just take, like, extra vitamin C when they're really stressed out, so we make sure that their body isn't depleting the vitamin C.
But it sounds like, from what we had talked about when we met, a lot of these things you've added in yourself over time, right?
[00:19:34] Dr. Sarah: Yes.
[00:19:34] Bella: Through your own research.
[00:19:35] Dr. Sarah: Yep.
Yeah.
[00:19:38] Bella: Do you have, like, your top five, if you were, like, stranded on an island that you would take.
[00:19:47] Dr. Sarah: That's interesting. Stranded on an island, because that means your body's starved for nutrients. Possibly, I would say probably would be the multivitamin.
[00:19:59] Bella: Yeah.
[00:19:59] Dr. Sarah: One of the omega 3s, or the fish oil, probably the beef liver, because it's kind of like you're feeding your body in a way with that. And I noticed sometimes, like, say I eat pizza or have, like, a lot of veggies and not a lot of protein. I think that that supplement helps with, you know, just getting that nutrient in there that you normally get from beef.
So I'd say multivitamin. The omega 3 is the fish oil. The beef liver.
What is that? Two more probably the vitamin D and K, don't you think? Adk. I think that's what it is.
Multivitamin. You kind of have that already. So probably now you have me thinking, oh, I'd probably do the magnesium.
[00:20:47] Bella: Yeah, I was gonna say anything.
[00:20:51] Dr. Sarah: And I don't know, maybe creatine
[00:20:58] Bella: for that. Brain health, muscle health.
[00:21:01] Dr. Sarah: Creatine or aminos. One of those two.
[00:21:05] Bella: Yeah. Something.
[00:21:06] Dr. Sarah: My top.
That's a good list. That's a good list.
[00:21:10] Bella: I'm impressed with what you chose.
Okay.
I support that. Yeah, that's a good.
A good balance.
If you only had to choose like 5 mm.
[00:21:22] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
And yeah, I just think, you know, the other ones, like astaxanthin and the berberine, I mean those are great, but I feel like they're kind of like, you know, not necessary. Yeah, yeah.
And then.
And that kind of plays into.
So I know that with speaking on, if you want to. On gut health, what would you say and gut health and hormone connection with digestion and inflammation supports your healthy microbiome, would you say basically evidence based, practical nutrition guidance that cuts through the wellness trends and helps people understand what actually works. Like, what would you say with gut health and hormone, like, and how it ties in hormones too?
[00:22:15] Bella: Yeah. Like what actually moves the, the needle.
Yeah. So I mean, the gut hormone connection is just fascinating because I think it helps, especially when we're talking about hormones in women, helps them understand that, like, that it isn't just stress or aging, it is a population that's so gaslit. Um, I mean, stress inevitably can play a huge role. And that actually is something I talk about a lot with my female population because it just wrecks havoc on, on all of it. But the things that actually work, it's gonna sound like so simple and silly probably to most people, but like the way you actually show up to your meals, I call it meal hygiene has such a big part of it. Like we're in a day and age where most of us are eating distracted or on the go or just like trying to shovel it down between meetings.
And that can actually put a lot of stress on the body because our, our brain and gut, like, needs to know it should be ready to digest. I call it like priming the pipes or getting the juices flowing. So like taking a few deep belly breaths or like yoga breathing before a meal or just like an inhale for four, exhale for six. That gets your nervous system into rest and digest and then like really paying attention, like while you're eating, like how much you're chewing.
Simply not chewing enough can make it really hard on the gut to digest. And that can lead to like, food sensitivities over time or a lot of like digestive issues like gas and bloating and, you know, decrease gut motility.
So just like the simple meal hygiene is a big part of it, but then also like the unsexy part with gut and hormones is like how you move your bowels. Like if you're not going to the bathroom regularly every day. That can lead to a lot of like, buildup of toxins that we want, you know, eradicated. I tell people you don't leave the trash in your house. Like, you don't want to leave, you know, the stool in your body either. You want to be moving that as much as you can, but then, like, proper hydration, like, hydration with electrolytes is really big. Most people don't realize that they need to replenish their electrolytes regularly, and that's super important.
[00:24:47] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
[00:24:49] Bella: What else can everyone do? I mean, going back to the fiber. Getting enough fiber is huge.
Um, I'm really a fan of, like, the cruciferous vegetables for women, for hormone metabolism. So, like, your broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage. Broccoli sprouts, probably. Broccoli sprouts are, like, the best.
[00:25:11] Dr. Sarah: Interesting.
[00:25:12] Bella: Yeah.
[00:25:12] Dr. Sarah: Broccoli sprouts. Okay. Yes.
[00:25:14] Bella: Amazing. They're the superfood, I think.
[00:25:18] Dr. Sarah: Okay, that's interesting because it. When I was at Running man, they were passing out sprouts.
Like, that's hilarious by the handfuls. Yeah, they were, like, going around and passing it. Passing out sprouts.
[00:25:32] Bella: That's awesome. Yeah, they're amazing. For you.
[00:25:37] Dr. Sarah: Okay, that's good to know.
Like, just kind of treat it like a salad or on your sandwich. Just kind of.
[00:25:45] Bella: Yeah, salad, sandwich. I used to. To put it in smoothies. It definitely changes the taste of your smoothie, but, like, if you're just eating for nutrition, you can throw them in there. But yeah, they're very common on sandwiches and salads.
[00:26:00] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
Yeah.
I actually bought. Would you kind of say that's like, microgreens that you see in the store now? Like, those kind of thin, like, greens?
[00:26:14] Bella: Yeah, those have different benefits. The broccoli sprouts are really high in what we call sulforaphane, and you can kind of think of it acting like as a powerful antioxidant in the body, and it's just most concentrated in broccoli sprouts.
[00:26:29] Dr. Sarah: Got it. Okay, cool.
Like, interesting. Okay, now if.
To kind of like.
Like, for the gut stuff. So drinking the D. Bloat. Have you heard of that?
[00:26:47] Bella: I have. Yeah.
They sell that at Ethos.
[00:26:51] Dr. Sarah: Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah.
[00:26:53] Bella: So the.
[00:26:53] Dr. Sarah: The deep blue, which is the Florida orange. That's the one I would drink at breakfast.
[00:26:58] Bella: Yeah.
[00:26:59] Dr. Sarah: Kind of. Like, I actually down a lot of my vitamins with that.
And then I also have the.
What is it? The hibiscus. That's another flavor to me that's more like lunch or dinner. But, you know, sometimes if you just don't want a glass of wine or something, that's good. But can you Overdo, like, that's my question. Can you overdo the pre probiotics? Is there a point where, like, maybe you need to say, okay, I can only have one a day, or do you think it's okay to, like, have two drinks? I'm just curious. Or if you're including a pre probiotic in the evening, like, how I do with seed, and then I'm drinking the D bloat. I mean, but my body seems fine.
And so I'm just curious if you think there's ever a way to, like, where you could be overdoing it or do you think it's like, okay, as long as you kind of listen to your body?
[00:27:55] Bella: Yeah, I definitely think you can overdo it with prebiotics because that's basically like giving you fiber and probiotics and with anything gut health, I think having it be individualized is, like, super, super duper important because one, not all probiotics and prebiotics are made equal. Some of them, you know, especially with supplements, like, they can tell you this is in it, but it's not 33rd party tested. That's a big thing.
And then there's just, like, different probiotics, you know, out there, and so many different strains that serve for different functions. So I think, you know, getting really individualized with someone that knows about, like, prebiotics and probiotics is really beneficial because if it's not the right probiotic for you, like, sometimes that can just make things worse rather than better.
And for some people, like, the amount of fiber and prebiotics might be too much too soon.
They're not used to that, like, dose of fiber.
[00:29:10] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, I know. When I.
I lived with my mom for a little bit while I was finishing up my dissertation, and I used to make her the smoothies that I always make, and sometimes she felt a little sensitive to them, and I was like, well, it's probably because you need to clean out your gut. I would always be like, but it's good for you. But, you know, I guess I just got used to it, like you said. Sometimes I guess that is true. I guess we kind of build up, like we're used to taking something or we have a tolerance.
So. Yeah, that's interesting.
So if, like, to kind of throw the question back on you. Just curious. If you were on a deserted island, I'm curious.
Expert nutritionist here would choose. What would your five be?
[00:29:58] Bella: Yes.
So I think a good multivitamin for sure.
An omega, most definitely.
[00:30:07] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
[00:30:09] Bella: My magnesium at night, some sort of electrolyte to put into water every day because I'm assuming a deserted island is going to be hot and I'm going to be sweating and maybe like a good protein powder.
[00:30:28] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
Yeah.
What would you say now that we're on a protein between aminos and protein? Do you think it's good to do both or do you think.
Because suppose how I understand aminos is. Aminos somehow transform something in your body that kind of has the same effect as protein, but it actually kind of like produces protein in your body. So I mean, I want to, I was curious from you if how. What you think.
[00:31:01] Bella: Yeah, yeah. So amino acids are the building block of protein. So amino acids make up anything that has protein. But people will take like a branch chain amino acid like while they're working out or after they work out because it's already broken down. So the body doesn't have to digest like a steak into those amino acids to ship it off to the muscles. So the amino acid is like a dose that immediately can go start helping you build muscle.
And then actual like protein powders give you many different kinds of amino acids, but they're actually built up in their long chains of proteins essentially. So like if you drink a protein powder, you are getting amino acids.
You might not be getting the same amount of high concentration as like the specific branch chain amino acids which I want to say are like leucine, A leucine or something like that. Lysine. I can't remember all of them from my, my school days, but they, they can, they can work together. But I don't find aminos to be absolutely necessary.
It just depends on the person. But sometimes they make the water taste good while you're working out. And yeah, if it helps with hydration, then that's okay too.
[00:32:26] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
Yeah. The one I drink by Cute is mango flavored. It's so good.
It's like I look forward to drinking it every day. That's how good it is.
[00:32:35] Bella: So I hear you. That's how I feel about my electrolytes at the gym. Like, yes, I get my yummy water.
[00:32:45] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
And then kind of gearing into women's hormone health and things like that and like peptides to. Just curious.
Yeah, yeah. What's, what's your thought on like kind of the peptide craze right now? Do you have any that you think are like wonderful? Maybe some you think you should avoid if you're comfortable discussing that right now?
[00:33:08] Bella: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. The thing with peptides, asides from GLP1s, that they're not FDA approved.
They were at one point, I believe, but then there was kind of some backtracking.
The true actual, real peptides that you can get absolutely can have a beneficial impact. I want to say it's like the BPC157 that a lot of men take for, like, injury and recovery. A lot of the time where you're getting, like, off market and from all these different vendors usually actually isn't the real peptide you. There is a workaround where people can get these peptides with a provider that can get the real thing and, like, prescribe them under, I want to say, like, pretenses for, like, research or, like, science purposes and you can get the real thing. But again, it's not being regulated by the fda.
So my take on it is, like, there is science that supports it. We know that these peptides can have benefits.
It's kind of the wild, wild west.
[00:34:12] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
[00:34:13] Bella: So I'm not big on, like, recommending anything specifically because of that, but I think the research is promising and I would hope a lot of these things could be regulated and available because they do have known benefits.
[00:34:29] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
[00:34:30] Bella: Yeah.
[00:34:31] Dr. Sarah: I actually was taking BPC157 after my last car accident. Accident just kind of help speed up some of the injury, but.
And then recently I rolled, like, twisted my ankle at Running man and so that I started using it for that. And then I decided just to stop because I felt like. But I don't know if it was actually the BPC157, but I feel like I recovered so quickly with my ankle. And I don't know if it was because of that, but it kind of amazed me, to be honest.
[00:35:08] Bella: Yeah.
[00:35:09] Dr. Sarah: Recovered and got better.
I stayed off of it, though, you know, and I was good about that and kind of like went back on my weightlifting and just did the steam and sauna for a little bit and then.
But, man, you should have seen my ankle on the plane flight on the way back. It was so swollen. It was crazy.
[00:35:30] Bella: Oh, and being. And flying too on top of it.
[00:35:34] Dr. Sarah: Ouch. Yeah. But it's so much better now. It's still a little tender in some spots, and it's still kind of like, swollen, but not like, it was so much, much better.
[00:35:45] Bella: Yeah, you could have gotten the real deal depending on who you got it from, because. Yeah, I mean, I've heard people that have taken it have said good things about it.
[00:36:00] Dr. Sarah: What do you think about, like, some of the.
I don't know. Have you heard of Tessa Morellin, like, ghkcu? Have you heard of those.
No. Okay, so I guess ghkcu, the copper peptide.
[00:36:17] Bella: Okay.
[00:36:19] Dr. Sarah: Collagen production for the skin.
[00:36:20] Bella: Okay. The copper peptide. Yes.
[00:36:22] Dr. Sarah: Yeah. And I guess Tessa Marellin is one that focuses on removing visceral fat in the abdomen area.
[00:36:31] Bella: Interesting. I don't know if I buy 100% into that.
[00:36:36] Dr. Sarah: My, my concern would be that is it just removing fat around the abs or is it removing visceral fat everywhere?
[00:36:44] Bella: Right.
[00:36:44] Dr. Sarah: You know, or like around places you don't want to lose it? Because I've been hearing a lot about girls on these weight loss drugs that are losing their booties, you know.
[00:36:56] Bella: Absolutely.
[00:36:58] Dr. Sarah: I don't know. So just interesting. What's out there with that, all that.
But.
[00:37:04] Bella: Right. And it goes back to people wanting a quick fix and not wanting to establish the foundational habits around their health that will actually benefit them long, long term. Anything that's a quick fix or too good to be true or feels like that it probably is, or there's side effects that we don't know about in the, the long term risks as well with these peptides. They're just not as well researched as like the GLP1s are for like diabetes and now other health conditions. But.
[00:37:40] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
[00:37:40] Bella: Yeah. I don't know if anyone's done research on if it just isolates belly fat.
[00:37:48] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, I mean, that's what they claim, but it's interesting.
Now, what do you think about nad? Are you familiar with nad?
[00:37:56] Bella: Yeah, yeah. Nad, NAD plus. I think the NMN that you're taking is supposed to help you like convert into NAD plus.
[00:38:06] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
So I guess I'm just curious. The other kind of craze kind of going on right now, of course, is women's hormone health.
[00:38:18] Bella: Right.
[00:38:20] Dr. Sarah: So do you have anything you want to share on that with everybody or what your thoughts are? What do you think is kind of trending or modern or any. I don't know. Yeah. With medicine.
[00:38:31] Bella: Yeah. Oh, gosh. Women's hormones is so underrepresented in science. Very under researched.
Women have just been gaslit. But what, what is new there? We won't get into that.
I think it depends on like the, the stage. So like for women that are going, you know, through perimenopause or post menopause versus women that are still cycling or pcos. Like there's different recommendations for everything, but at the end of the day it's going to be things like your stress management, sleep. Those are like two things that, like, if those aren't well supported, the best protocol, best supplement, best diet, best Exercise routine, like, you can't out eat or out exercise or out supplement, poor sleep and tons of stress.
And especially for women going through, like, menopause.
So what happens is, like, your hormone production goes from being primarily from your ovaries to your adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands also are responsible for all that cortisol production. So if your adrenal glands have to focus on cortisol to help support you through stress, they're going to deprioritize all of your sex hormones. So stress just makes things abundantly harder for women going through perimenopause, which is also a really stressful phase of life. Usually people's kids are going off to college or getting married, career transitions, you know, you name it. It's just a completely different phase of life.
So it can be very hard because, like, what's going on with their hormones and what's going on in their life are, like, mismatched. They don't. There's not that synergy.
[00:40:15] Dr. Sarah: Yeah. Interesting.
And what do you think about the whole women with the testosterone thing recently? More. That's becoming more talked about.
[00:40:27] Bella: Yeah.
[00:40:28] Dr. Sarah: It's kind of. It seems like girls even into their, like, mid-30s, late-30s, should maybe start taking this as just the testosterone. Because the way you drop it and it hasn't really been, you know, a topic of discussion before and how important it is because what it helps with. Skin, hair, brain libido.
[00:40:51] Bella: Yeah, so much. It does help with so much.
Yeah. If for, like, hormone replacement therapy, we're approved for the progesterone and the estrogen, and then men get the testosterone again, there's something doctors can do to give you the testosterone. I don't know the, like, politics and all of that behind it, but if women can get their hands on it and there is a need for testosterone, like, it can really help improve symptoms. I've seen it all the time. You know, when I've run labs for women, like, things look good, but your testosterone is super low. And that was the missing piece for them in their HRT regimen. But for other women, they don't need it. So I think it needs to be individualized. But in terms of, like, if I support it.
[00:41:37] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
[00:41:37] Bella: And the person that needs it. Absolutely. I think it's necessary.
[00:41:42] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
Yeah. That's so true. Because, like. Yeah. Individualized, case by case basis, depending on your blood work. That gets us to the whole blood work thing.
Yes.
[00:41:54] Bella: 100.
[00:41:55] Dr. Sarah: How often do you recommend getting your blood work done? What would you say?
[00:42:00] Bella: I mean, at minimum once a year, know what's going on in your body. If we could do it, you know, quarterly or at least twice a year.
Ideal. I mean, I would love for women as well to get like a full hormone panel. I think if we could test our guts once a year at least that's what I would love to see. It's just insurance companies don't support a lot of like the testing we do in functional medicine, which can be a big barrier.
[00:42:34] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
A lot of what drives me with making a plan for myself is I do the at home blood tests
[00:42:45] Bella: I
[00:42:45] Dr. Sarah: was trying to do every month but my budget doesn't allow that. So I was doing every other month the at home rhythm blood test.
And I like it. I think it's kind of fun.
Like you know, you do it and then you don't have to go to the doctor, deal with the clinic, which I like. And it's so quick turnaround. Like you get your results pretty quick. But like I like it because it's kind of cool to like see what's going on and even how it can fluctuate so fast from like month to month.
And it tests your age. So like your biological age.
[00:43:20] Bella: Yeah, yeah.
[00:43:22] Dr. Sarah: I went down like seven or eight years from. In one month.
[00:43:29] Bella: What did you do?
[00:43:30] Dr. Sarah: I don't know.
I'd be very curious to know how, how it went down so much.
I don't know. I think it was like less stress. I think stress does a lot on you.
[00:43:45] Bella: It does, yeah.
[00:43:47] Dr. Sarah: And I think I was having a month where I just didn't feel a lot of stress. And I think maybe that's why or maybe it could have been my diet. I, I mean that is such an interesting question because it's like if I was to really now I'm kind of curious to see the next one.
Like was that a fluke? Am I going to go down even more?
[00:44:05] Bella: Right.
[00:44:06] Dr. Sarah: Or am I going to go back up? You know, I'm just curious how that can fluctuate or if it maybe is kind of consistent and will stay low. I don't know, but we'll see.
[00:44:15] Bella: It's great to have that information and that data on yourself. I mean, knowledge is power at the end of the day.
So.
Yeah, that's awesome. I've heard good things about the rhythm.
[00:44:26] Dr. Sarah: Okay. And there's more out there too, which is funny. I didn't know were so many other brands out there.
I just tend to. I was exposed to that one and I like it. And that's what I've been using And I don't know, I'm happy with it.
And is there anything as far as, I don't know, kind of getting into like, food, diet, grocery shopping? Yeah, I had a couple on the podcast. I don't know if you caught it. They do a biblically based diet, what they call, yes, Mediterranean, but like, you know, she said they kind of stay on the outskirts of the grocery store. They don't even like go in the middle aisles because they get everything.
I don't know, I guess a lot of just like fresh produce and probably meat.
[00:45:21] Bella: Yeah, yeah. Sounds like a whole food diet.
[00:45:24] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, yeah. Like, I don't know. I'm just curious as far is diet and things like that with food choice. Do you have anything maybe you want to share with the audience? It would be.
[00:45:36] Bella: Yes.
Yeah. First and foremost, always going to go back to the. It being individualized. You know, we're in the day and age with social media where everyone discovers something, something that works for them and, you know, likes to make like a blanket statement that this is what works for everyone.
So at the end of the day, like, knowing what makes you feel the best is the best thing that you can do for your body because we're all a little bit different. But at the end of the day, like the basics, what I would hope for everyone is that, like, when you look at your plate, is there some color that's coming from like a source of produce?
Is there some protein and some healthy fats? And then for everyone, everyone feels differently about carbs. At the end of the day, I, you know, the carbs are what the brain's preferred fuel is. But I think everyone fluctuates. It's a spectrum of what makes people feel the best. So some people feel better, lower carbs, some people feel better, higher carb, really get in tune with your, your body. But at the end of the day, like, I think the magical three are your fiber, your protein, and your healthy fat.
And if we could all stick to whole food diet, I mean, there's no need for us technically to be eating processed foods and chips and stuff like that. I think there's healthy processed foods and there's a spectrum of what processed foods look like.
But what I, yeah, what I would hope for everyone is that there's balance in each meal, that we're spacing meals about like 3 to 4 hours apart or 3 to 5.
Not going too long without eating to support your hormones.
Definitely, like hydrating well, but then also making food fun. It's not about perfection. And I think People can get really rigid. And I hear that in my work all the time. Like, oh, I was bad, or I shouldn't have eaten that piece of cake at, you know, my daughter's birthday. But I did. And it's like. Well, I don't like the shoulds.
[00:47:40] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
[00:47:41] Bella: The extremes either, because everything fits. I mean, I'm a dietitian and I like a glass of wine or a cocktail or, you know, to get a burger with fries every once in a while.
But like the 80, 20 rule, honestly, for. To boil it down, 80% of the time, stick to those whole foods balanced meals, and then 20% of the time, do whatever you want.
[00:48:07] Dr. Sarah: Mm.
Yeah.
Yes.
And you, you know, I think that you made me think of something with the pasta. Like carbs. You know, some people are so hard on themselves about eating carbs, you know, But I love my pasta. So, like.
And I actually feel good. There's times where I just feel like my body's craving a bowl of pasta or a thing of spaghetti, you know, And I love my pasta.
[00:48:39] Bella: As you should. Pasta's great.
[00:48:42] Dr. Sarah: Yes.
And I try to do.
A lot of times I actually do the gluten free pasta or I try to buy like the really, like, high quality straight from Italy, you know, as close and get to being in Italy.
Yeah. And yeah, like, because I remember when I lived in Florence for two months, as you always hear, people drink the wine and eat all the pasta and they lose weight, you know, and they feel great.
And it's just like a difference.
And. And, you know, the actual diet and the nutrition over in Italy compared to here, you know what I mean? How they, like, make the pasta, do the wine, the whole thing.
[00:49:25] Bella: Absolutely, absolutely.
[00:49:27] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
And kind of you got me into thinking about, like, when you're traveling, like, dealing with nutrition and stuff like that. Do you have any tips for when, you know, you're traveling and making food choices?
[00:49:42] Bella: Yeah, 100%.
My whole thing is it's not about taking things away. But what can you add in that gives you, like, a source of nutrition? So, like, you're going to have pasta and wine. Great. Is there like a salad or like a veggie appetizer that you can have beforehand? I'm big on, like, the veggie starters at.
[00:50:02] Dr. Sarah: Yeah. Okay.
[00:50:03] Bella: To give you like, a little bit of.
[00:50:05] Dr. Sarah: That's a good idea. Yeah, yeah.
[00:50:06] Bella: It gives you a little bit of fiber. And if we get into like your blood sugar and the science behind, like, what you want post meal, like starting your meals with vegetables is one of the Best things that you can do for, like, okay, blood sugar, hormone metabolism, all of that. So when my members bring this up, they're like, I'm traveling. What do I do? I'm like, just try to get some vegetables or fruit in, you know, at your meals, and then eat whatever the heck you want.
[00:50:35] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, that's. That's cool. That's a good idea, though, because I. I'll be more conscious of that, like, starting with veggies or choosing more of the veggie focused appetizers or starter. So you're making sure you're getting in your veggies if it's not, you know. Yeah.
But. Yeah, that's awesome.
[00:50:53] Bella: And try what's, like, local, you know, there, like, can you get, like, certain vegetables or fruit that you can't at home? Like, I think a huge part of understanding a culture when you're traveling, like, is their food. And it's a great opportunity to. To get things that you normally can't.
[00:51:10] Dr. Sarah: Mm. Mm.
Yeah. Like, I remember when I was in Cinque Terre in Italy, they're really well known for their pesto.
[00:51:18] Bella: Like, that's.
[00:51:20] Dr. Sarah: They have, like, the most amazing pesto and, like, seafood.
There is this restaurant there, and I have.
It was so cute. They had these little wine bags that they would put the white wine in and, like, fill it with ice.
They're so cute. But I think it was called, like, Girardon. I don't know, something. But, you know, we had the octopus and the calamari and the pesto, and it was just so amazing. Anyways, so. Yeah. So enjoying food. I think that, you know, you can be nutritious and just enjoy it and, you know, that I've. I feel like I've been lucky. I've always had a very healthy relationship with food. I've been very lucky where I haven't had any issues with that. But I know there are people out there who struggle with that and.
[00:52:12] Bella: Absolutely.
[00:52:13] Dr. Sarah: Those that do with what you do. Do you help on that end? For those that may be struggling with, you know, food noise, food hunger, food issues, or maybe have some issues with, you know, know, things.
[00:52:27] Bella: Yeah, you see it a lot because I work in the autoimmune community, and there's a lot of overlap where these eating disorders develop just because of food, fear because of their symptoms.
And in that case, honestly, when people have any sort of disordered relationship with food, I think either one working with a dietitian that specializes in that.
[00:52:49] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
[00:52:50] Bella: And. Or either in conjunction with. Or at least a therapist that has experience in that. Cause a lot of it, I believe, stems from something underneath. Like, do you have a condition that's made you really super reactive to food, so there's only a limited amount that you can eat and you're scared to feel like crap?
That's one case. And then other times, eating disorders can stem from trauma as a coping mechanism. And I think the mindset around it is what helps people the most or they have the most success overcoming that.
But I feel like more people walk around with a disordered eating relationship with food than we realize, or they might not even know. That's another big thing that I see is that people like, don't realize that the relationship with food is not healthy. And that can be really hard because with being a dietitian, like, my scope isn't to be like, hey, do you think you have an eating disorder?
[00:53:49] Dr. Sarah: You're like, hello, yeah.
And so is that something you help with, with people if they wanted to reach out to you?
[00:54:01] Bella: So, yeah, I am not eating disorder specialized, but I am like autoimmune also, just like functional nutrition. So I'm big on like, let's get to the root of what you're doing or what's going on in your body.
[00:54:19] Dr. Sarah: Okay. Okay.
Yeah. And you made me think of something I cannot do. This might sound strange, but I cannot do.
I have to drink lactose free milk in my coffee or lactose free milk.
And it's like, it's like when the cheese gets hot.
Isn't that strange? So like, I can have pizza, but not like the heavy cheese. What I would say more American style pizza. I can have like kind of more the Italian style because there seems to be less cheese, you know, when it's. Yeah, but like hard cheese I can eat fine.
If I get into the creamy cheese or when cheese gets heat to it, I guess what it is. And you'll know this better than me, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I guess the enzymes change in the cheese when the heat gets exposed to heat and it does something.
[00:55:11] Bella: You know, I've actually never heard that, but it wouldn't surprise me that the molecular shape changes. But the big thing is, like, you may lack enough of the lactase enzyme to help break down the lactose. Like if you take lactate, something like that. Have you ever noticed that that makes a difference?
[00:55:35] Dr. Sarah: I've never taken it though. No. Okay, maybe I should. I don't know.
[00:55:42] Bella: Worth an experiment. Does lactate help when you're having something that's heated or a Little bit creamier, richer. But that's, that's pretty typical that, you know, I think there's spectrums of lactose intolerance and I've heard like some people, they just can't have any. But it's very common that I hear like hard cheeses are fine when I get into the softer cheeses or the more rich things like ice cream that.
Some people can be okay with like yogurt and cottage cheese and other people aren't. It's again individualized.
[00:56:14] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, it's interesting. And like I can do the skyer style yogurts and I can do gelato. But it's like ice cream. No, it's not weird. And then I can't do, oh my gosh, regular coffee or cream in my milk is trouble. So I always do either coconut milk or, you know, I prefer not to do oat or almond because I heard that your body recognizes that as a gluten and I guess there's a lot of chemicals in those.
[00:56:41] Bella: There can be almond milk, there can
[00:56:43] Dr. Sarah: be a lot of chemicals.
So the more natural it is, the better for me. So I just end up just buying the organic lactose free, 2% milk for my coffee or I use everyday dose their creamer. They have a non dairy creamer with stuff in it, which is good. But yeah, so anything like that. But.
And if. And as a, you know, dietitian and what is the name of the business where you work? Do you want to share that with her?
[00:57:18] Bella: Yes, yes. So I work for a company called well Theory. I want to say we're about five years old.
[00:57:25] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
[00:57:26] Bella: So it's still very much startup like, but yeah, Our mission is to help people with autoimmune disease. It's a very underrepresented population and 80% of those with autoimmune diagnoses are women.
So it really greatly impacts our female population. And it also usually takes people several years to get diagnosed. But we also work with people that don't have autoimmune conditions. You know, I see so many people that just are super interested in being healthier or they have mysterious symptoms and they don't have a diagnosis and they just really want to understand what's going on in their body.
[00:58:07] Dr. Sarah: Wow, okay, that's amazing.
And where are you guys kind of located? In the Charleston area? More downtown or Mount Pleasant.
[00:58:15] Bella: So we are 100 remote. We don't have a technical headquarters or I think we have to have like a mailbox and I think that's somewhere like in California or Arizona. But all of our dietitians are all over.
We have some, some employees that don't work on the, the care team, but work like an engineering stuff that live in different countries. So, yeah, super cool that we can serve people anywhere in the US that's an awesome opportunity.
[00:58:45] Dr. Sarah: It's amazing.
And would you say, is there anything, I don't know, kind of that you feel like you want to share today with the audience that you feel like you want to leave with them?
[00:59:03] Bella: Absolutely, absolutely.
I know I've already stressed it that it has to be individualized, but what I like to tell people is that symptoms are signals that your body is trying to communicate with you.
Your body loves you very, very much. And a lot of times these symptoms are, is the way that it's trying to get your attention.
And you know, it's big. I'm big on like, let's work with your body, not against it. And so again, finding a provider that feels the same, but also like, you know your body best and if something feels off and someone tells you, like, oh, like your labs, nothing came back abnormal, like you're fine, like, that is not true.
Working in the functional space, we look at labs a lot differently.
We look for like, patterns and there's things that you can catch early on before things are out of range.
And so if you really feel like something's off, something probably is. It might not even be anything big. It can be a simple adjustment.
But trust yourself, listen to yourself. No one knows what it's like to be inside your body. So don't let anyone tell you that something isn't wrong if something feels wrong.
[01:00:21] Dr. Sarah: Okay, Words of wisdom here. And that's all. Yeah. And what's exciting too about Bella is she's also been wrote some articles and done some webinars if you just kind of want to touch on that for a little bit.
[01:00:39] Bella: Yeah.
[01:00:40] Dr. Sarah: Topics you kind of chose to focus on in those webinars or those articles for Women's World, Is that right?
[01:00:46] Bella: Yes, I've done stuff for Women's World. I think I've done a few for Forbes. Um, but lucky that like, well, theory has brought that opportunity. People are reaching out and wanting dietitians to write articles. Then I've done webinars for different companies that I've worked for. So I've talked about like different types of plant based diets because there's like vegan and vegetarian and pescatarian and you can be primarily plant based but still eat animal protein.
There was one that I did like around like, you Know like your relationship with food and work with another dietitian that had specialty and eating disorder and in mindful eating. That practice. That one was really fun.
Recently gave one to a Pilates community and gut health walk them through like what we call the north to south proper process with digestion.
That one was really fun and I'm probably going to be doing one again for that same Pilates community on like the menstrual cycle and how women can support like the different phase.
[01:01:55] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
[01:01:56] Bella: Phases of the menstrual cycle.
[01:02:02] Dr. Sarah: Speaking of the menstrual cycle with diet.
[01:02:07] Bella: Yeah.
[01:02:08] Dr. Sarah: You have recommendations to help with women when they're going through the different phases. Anything you recommend to eat or don't eat?
[01:02:16] Bella: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, of course when you're menstruating you're losing iron, so your iron rich foods are going to be really beneficial.
And iron paired with vitamin C helps with absorption. So like that could be like beef pasta sauce made with tomatoes because the beef will give you iron, the tomatoes give you vitamin C or doing like, you know, like peppers, bell peppers with beef or chicken or turkey.
That's really important.
Blood sugar regulation throughout the cycle can, like your insulin sensitivity, which helps regulate insulin, helps regulate your blood sugar, can, can fluctuate. So again, like starting your meals with vegetables is a really good one. And something that's really interesting too is seed cycling. So like the first half of your cycle, having flax seeds and pumpkin seeds, a tablespoon of each every day. And then when you get halfway through for the second half of your cycle, having a tablespoon of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds that'll provide you with the different like nutrients and like vitamins and minerals that your body needs at those different times when your hormones are fluctuating.
That's just like a really cool, easy thing that I think women can do.
[01:03:38] Dr. Sarah: Amazing. Okay.
I'm like, I love that. And would you say more in the form of like, I picture like cold seed or grounded seed or in a supplement form you're thinking, yeah, no, you
[01:03:50] Bella: could definitely do the whole seed. So flaxseed, I recommend always ground because it's just easier to digest. But like you could do the pumpkin seed normal if you like to snack on it. Same with the, the sesame seeds are super small, the sunflower seeds too. So I honestly will just like add them to a smoothie or like overnight oats or yogurt.
Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are also like really good in like salads.
But yeah, just a tablespoon of each. So It's a really small serving, easy to add into things.
[01:04:24] Dr. Sarah: That's awesome.
And something interesting I was gonna ask you, so I bought that. I'm gonna say this wrong. Probably acorn, ink, corn, inkhorn, E I N K, horn, acorn.
[01:04:37] Bella: Okay.
[01:04:38] Dr. Sarah: Pancake mix as opposed to.
I guess that's considered, like, ancient. More of an ancient grain.
So I was just curious if you knew much about, like, when choosing things like a pancake mix.
I don't know if that's something.
I know that sounds funny, but, like, I just feel like some are so chemically or they're not, you know, and I think, oh, I want to choose a gluten free pancake mix. But then I saw the ink horn, and so that's what I chose.
I don't know. I would say when trying to choose with things like that, where they're kind of mixed for you or boxed or packaged.
[01:05:15] Bella: Yeah.
[01:05:16] Dr. Sarah: What do you tend to kind of look for or, or, or stay away from.
[01:05:21] Bella: Yeah. Like, looking at the ingredients, like, is it something I could replicate or make on my own? Like, could I buy these ingredients and theoretically make this myself? If there's, like so many chemicals, so many additives, you know, so like high fructose corn syrup and like, all of that stuff. If I feel like I'm reading a novel while reading the ingredients, I'm probably gonna stray from it. Um, also just, like, the quality of ingredients. I mean, buying organic I think is important, especially like when we look at, like, the Dirty Dozen list at the very least. Okay. Like, things like produce or those ingredients that will be in packaged foods. And then, like, also, like, the amount of added sugar. That's what kind of remind I always goes to. Is it super high in added sugar because we don't need it?
[01:06:14] Dr. Sarah: You know,
[01:06:17] Bella: those are my big, big things.
[01:06:19] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, I feel like.
Yeah, I feel like I'm pretty healthy with stuff. Like, if somebody came over to my house, there, there's not, like, where you can just grab something out of the cupboard and snack on it. Like, I, like, make everything, you know, so that's kind of interesting. But, yeah, I like to cook, you know, but I make a lot of roasted chicken and, and fish and pasta sauces I make myself. So that's awesome. But, yeah, and so if kind of, you know, if anybody wanted to reach out and work with.
[01:06:52] Bella: Yeah.
[01:06:53] Dr. Sarah: With you, Bella, and I hope the audience, somebody will want to connect with you and kind of dive more into nutrition or utilize your services.
What's the best way to kind of get in touch with you and get a hold of you.
[01:07:06] Bella: Yeah, best way. I mean, it's all through like our welltheory website where you could book, but they can directly book with wealthieri.com. sign up with a dietitian like myself or any of our RDs that work at our company are absolutely amazing. You cannot go wrong.
They can find me me there. They can find me at Bella Swastiki. S W I E C I C K I on social.
If anyone ever has a question, DMs are always open. I love talking shop about nutrition with anyone and everyone. So it's never a bother if someone's like, hey, I have a random question or I've been feeling this symptom. I'm always happy to chat through it with you.
[01:07:54] Dr. Sarah: Okay, awesome. I love it. I love your openness. And yeah, I think it's. That's great because, you know, approaching someone, somebody, especially with all the food and nutrition stuff, you know, you. It's. It's so personalized for each person.
I don't know. And it's like, even me, like, talking. I feel like I've been talking about myself a lot in this, in this podcast, but it's just because, you know, it's. Food is so. To us, you know, it is. And, and like, so it's. Yeah. But yeah, hopefully the audience learned something or maybe we influenced them to take a healthier step or dive into broccoli sprouts or, you know. Yeah, absolutely.
Diet, like fiber veggies, broccoli sprouts. I feel like we've covered a lot. Do you feel like there's anything else maybe we need to cover before we end today? Can you think of anything you feel like?
[01:08:55] Bella: No, I think we covered gut health, hormones, peptides, supplements. I feel like we've hit. Hit all the hot. The hot topics.
[01:09:04] Dr. Sarah: Okay.
Oh, I just thought of something really quick.
[01:09:09] Bella: Okay.
[01:09:09] Dr. Sarah: Cooking oils, like what you cook with.
What do you think? Because I feel like it's. I normally use olive oil.
I use, I use butter and olive oil. I'll just be honest. Sometimes canola oil, but for certain things, but mostly I just use olive oil and butter. I don't know how good that is. Yeah, I use.
[01:09:30] Bella: Yeah, yeah, olive oil is great. I think it just goes back to like, honestly, like the smoke point. Some of the seed oils are fine like in like a salad dressing. It's just not all can reach a certain heat level. They'll start to change their molecular, like, shape and that can make them more, you know, inflammatory.
So I love a good olive oil. I love a really good coconut. I'm sorry, not coconut oil. Avocado oil. Ghee. A clarified butter.
[01:09:59] Dr. Sarah: I do use ghee.
Yeah.
[01:10:04] Bella: Coconut oil.
I forget if it's higher or lower on the smoke point than, like, olive oil and avocado oil, but that can be great and add a lot of flavor, especially, like, in your Asian dishes and curries and things like that. Yeah, but like a seed oil, you know, like a grapeseed oil or a sesame oil, like, to finish off to give something a little bit of, like, flavor or using a salad dressing is, like, totally fair. Just know, like, what temperatures. Know the temperatures, and choose the right one accordingly.
[01:10:34] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, yeah. You made me think. I actually love sesame oil with salmon.
[01:10:38] Bella: So good.
[01:10:39] Dr. Sarah: Yeah, yeah.
[01:10:41] Bella: Sesame has a great flavor.
[01:10:42] Dr. Sarah: Yeah.
Well, awesome. Okay.
And, yeah, so everybody knows how to get a hold of Bella now. And I don't know if you see either of us, Ethos, say hi. And, yeah, I think that I'll see you in the weight room or in the sauna or something. We'll see each other and this was fun.
[01:11:03] Bella: Yes. Thank you for having me on. I did. This is awesome.
[01:11:07] Dr. Sarah: All right.
And always here on the Dr. Random podcast, I'll say ciao.
